2«° C R E E F E R.
neHaria of flowers. Lefs confequential differences might be likewife
added, were it necefiary.
The lhape of the tongue, in birds of the Creeper kind, is various;
ln fome of them it is fhort and pointed, and fuch birds may. be
fuppofed to feed wholly on infedts; in others it is longer, and
flatted at the point: in feveral it is ciliated, or furnifhed with
minute hairs on the fides ; and again, in-not a few, it appears to be
tubular, and bifid at the end, exadtly like the fame organ ini
Humming-Birds ; thofe fo provided, no doubt, enjoy a double
method of furnifhing themfelves with food, the one by means o f
the bill, as in other, birds; the other, by extra&ing honey from
Flowers; and are, no doubt, of a middle nature between the prefent
and next genus: thefe perhaps will, by fome future fyftematift,
be thrown into a genus by themfelves j but this can by no means
happen till they are fully known.
It is very pofiible that many o f the following, which are now-
defcribed as fpecies, will be found’ hereafter to be mere •varieties;,
which is no wonder, as we are well affured that many Creepers do
not gain their full plumage till the third year’a moult.
Certifia.
C R E E F E R.
Certhia familiaris, L iu .S y / .i. p. 184. N° r.—Muller, p. 13;—Seep. emu.
i. p. 52. N° 59.
Le Grimpereau, B rif erit. iii. p. 603; N° r.— Buf. el/, v. p. 481.
t. 21. f. 1.—PI. enl. 681. f. t.
Ifpida cauda rigida, ICram. el. p. 337. N° 2.
Gerthia, Rati Syn. p. 47. A. 5.
The Creeper, Will orn. p. 144. t. 24.
Tree Creeper, Albin. iii. t. 24.
Creeper, Br. Zeal. N° 91. t. 39— Amer. Zeel. N°
Br. Muf. Lev. Muf.
n p H I S Bird is fcarce bigger than the crefled Wren: it weighs-
five drams : and is in length five inches and a half. The
Bill is hooked like a fickle ; the upper mandible brown, the lower
whitilh : the irides hazel : the head, and upper part of the neck,
are brown, ftreaked'with black: rump tawny: the wing coverts
variegated, with brown and black: quills- dufky, tipped with'
white,,and edged and barred with tawny marks : the bread and
belly are of a filvery white : the tail is very long, and confifts of
twelve ftiff feathers * ; they are of a. tawny hue, and the interior
ends of each Hope off to a point: legs and claws grey.
: This bird is found'in moft'parts of Europe, though it is believed'
no where fo common as in England. It may be thought more fcarce
than it really is, by the lefs attentive oblerver; fori fuppofing it
on the body, or branch of any tree,, the* moment it obferves any,
one, it gets to the oppofite fide, and fo on, let a perfon walk round
the tree ever fo often : the facility of its running on the bark of a.
tree, in all directions, is wonderful,., doing this with as much eafe,
* Willughby, and fome others, give it bat ten..
70 r
1.
4- COMMON'
CR.
DsscxitTiOicV
Place,
as